I tend to look at my portfolio as a whole: What percentage ofleverage do I have?

We plan on using the VA loan and to buy down points, at least 1 percentage point worth.We’ve considered a house at a lower cost (250-350k), but they generally need some work (kitchen/bathroom renovations).

That one house you partner up  for and do is worth more to you(percentage wise) then one of the many buildings your architecture clients own.

@Aaron Lawson I agree with @Juan Vargas in that we use ballpark percentages for the initial screening. 

I was reading the book "Real Estate by the numbers", the part on EV, and I was wondering on how to calculate the EV when I do not know the probabilities/percentages of each outcome happening, can you give me an example on EV with a rental unit please?

Some ideas would be to: Take a look at a market report for Pittsburgh and add a few percentage points to be conservative, Call around to multifamily brokers or property managers in the area and ask their vacancy rate, asks banks what their vacancy assumption is for underwriting, etc...

The point is that the percentage is so small that you do not have to be too concerned that you are going to lose your house just because you don't have insurance for a few weeks.

Property taxes are highest by percentage of any state.

Around what percentage annual net collections makes renting out worth it versus just selling and money market/interest. 

You can't have 2 cooks in a kitchen" per se.The best suggestion for a "partnership" would be where one gives the money, the other does all of the work.The one giving the money must know exactly how much percentage or profit he/she is getting and be 100% happy with it.The one doing the work honors the agreement no matter what.